US1363406A - Rat-shield - Google Patents

Description

A. a. GIRARD. RAT SHIELD. APPLICATION FILED AUG-30. I920.

1 63,406, Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

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RAT-SHIELD.

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Application filed August 30, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Anonrn G. Grnann, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, county of San Francisco, State-of California, have invented a new and useful RatShield, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rat shields for ship hawsers and has for its primary ob ect to provide a cheap and practlcal device which may be conveniently applied to the hawser to prevent rats from boarding the ship by way of the hawsers when the ship is docked at wharves and the like.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention. In said drawing Figured is a perspective view showing the application of the device, Fig. 2 is a side elevation, F g. 3 is a section on the line 83 Fig. 2 and F 1g. 4: is a cross section of a modified form of block.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I prefer to provide a thin metal disk (1) of suificient diameter to prevent a rat from crawling over the same when perched on the hawser (2) which passes through the center thereof.

As a means for receiving the hawser and attaching the device thereto, I propose to make a radial slot (3) in the disk which is adapted to receive a square block having a central hole (5) through whlch the hawser is passed. This block is equipped with a slot in its two opposite vertical sides which may act as guides in inserting the block in the slot (3) and also prevent the block from being pulled axlally away from the disk by the hawser. To also further brace or fix the block in the slot (3) part of the metal displaced by the production of the slot is used and bent outwardly parallel to the axis of the device as at (6) and then downwardly as at (7) with the edge thereof serrated and adapted to be embedded in the hawser and thus prevent the device from creeping or sliding along the hawser. The length of the part (6) of this anti-creeping means is substantially the same as that of the thickness of that part of the block which projects through that side of the disk. The position of the slots in the vertical sides of the block of course account for this condition.

When the block is inserted in the radial Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 408,748.

slotit may be confined therein by the hinged sect on (8) of the disk, which includes a semi-circular piece of sheet metal preferably of the same thickness as that of the disk and fastened to the lower part of the disk by the h nged connection consisting of the headed pin (9) and the slot (10). Arranged on the opposite side of the slot (3) is a second headed pin (ll) which is adapted to cooperate with the keyhole slot (12) in the hinged section (8) so that the said section may be locked across the slot (3) and with its upper edge positioned below the projecting part of the block (a) for confining the same in the axis of the disk. The sliding connection of both pins (10) and (11) in their respective slots will enable the section to be slightly moved to where the head of the pin (11) may be passed through the enlarged part of the slot (12) and thus permit the section to be dropped away from the slot (3) as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. A finger grip (13) is provided for conveniently manipulating the section.

In practice it inay be permissible to leave the block (4) upon the hawser when the device is not in use. The device may be easily applied when needed.

It should be also noted that the added weight of the section (8) will maintain the device in proper position on the hawser for In Fig. l I have shown a modified form of block. in this construction I prefer to employ a block which is divided so as to provide two halves (e and (a each of which being dished out so as to produce the opening when the halves are joined together by means of the screws or the like (5). By using a divided block instead of the solid one the hawser (2) need not be passed through the opening, which in some instances would work at a disadvantage should ing an opening through which a ship hawser may be passed, and a hinged section carried slot, an opening in said block through which a Ship s haWser may be passed, means adjacent the axis of the disk adapted to engage the blockand' the hawser passing therethrough for preventing creeping of the disk on the hawser, and a hinged section carried by the disk adapted to be fastened across said radial slot for confining the block in said radial slotconcentric oft'he disk.

4%. A device of the class described, including a barrier, a radial slot therein, a divided bl'ockadapted' to be inserted in said slot and having an opening made to receive a ships haWser, and means for confining the block in said slot.

5. in rat shield including a disk shaped barrier having a radial slot terminating concentric of the disk, a divided block having slots in its vertical sides adapted to be inserted in said radial slot with the said slots in the block made to receive the edges of the radial slot, an opening in said block made to receive a ships hawser, means adjacent the aXis of the disk adapted to engage the block and the hawser passing therethrough for preventing creeping of the disk on the hawser, and a hinged section carried by the disk adapted to be fastened across said radial slot for confining the block in said.

radial slot concentric of the disk, said divided block being made intwo sections with means for joining the component parts of the sections to provide "the composite structure.

ADOLPH GUSTAV GIR'ARD;

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